Smoking device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a forced-air smoking device, comprising: a hollow body, the hollow body operable to hold a smokable product, the hollow body comprising: a tip at one end and a forced-air input at an opposite end, and a holder disposed within the body, the holder adapted to hold an ignited smokable product, and a thumb hole, the thumb hole disposed between the forced-air input and the holder; and an air hose, the air hose coupled at a first end to the forced-air input and at a second end to a forced-air source, wherein, when the thumb hole is covered, the forced-air source forces air through the hose, into the body, over the smokable product and out the tip to produce a stream of smoke from the smokable product.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present specification relates generally to a smoking device, andmore particularly to a forced-air smoking device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understandingthe present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of theinformation provided herein is prior art nor material to the presentlydescribed or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or documentthat is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Smoking of tobacco and other substances via rolled cigarettes, cigarsand the like has been known for centuries. Generally, rolled cigarettesor the like consists of shredded tobacco or another smokable substancewrapped in a flammable paper, optionally with a filter at the end whichis inserted into the user's mouth. Other methods of preparation may beused for cigars or similar products.

However, the nature of cigarettes requires the user to draw breath withsome force to maintain the ignition of the cigarette and draw smoke intothe user's mouth and lungs. Thus, the draw of smoke is affected by theuser's ability to forcefully draw breathe. Additionally, cigarettesprovide a limited ability to share or exchange with others, as theends/tips and filters (if present) are readily contaminated by theuser's saliva.

Thus, it would be desirable to have a smoking device which at leastpartially mitigates some of the existing disadvantages of cigarettes andsimilar products.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided aforced-air smoking device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided aforced-air smoking device, comprising: a hollow body, the hollow bodyoperable to hold a smokable product, the hollow body comprising: a tipat one end and a forced-air input at an opposite end, and a holderdisposed within the body, the holder adapted to hold an ignited smokableproduct, and a thumb hole, the thumb hole disposed between theforced-air input and the holder; and an air hose, the air hose coupledat a first end to the forced-air input and at a second end to aforced-air source, wherein, when the thumb hole is covered, theforced-air source forces air through the hose, into the body, over thesmokable product and out the tip to produce a stream of smoke from thesmokable product.

The stream of smoke is produced as a short range jet of a few inchesbefore dissipating, therefore, the user may ingest the smoke by openingtheir mouth and positioning the smoking end of the smoking device around2-4 inches from their face

The smoking device may further comprise a transparent section in thehollow body, the transparent section permitting viewing of the holderfrom the exterior of the body. Further, a light source may be providedwithin the hollow body, the light source illuminating the hollow bodywhen active to permit viewing through the transparent section.Additionally, any or all parts of the smoking device may be removablefor cleaning or replacement.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided amethod of smoking a smokeable product via a forced-air smoking device,comprising: placing the smokeable product into a holder disposed withinthe smoking device; igniting the smokeable product; activating aforced-air source coupled to the smoking device; covering a thumb holein the smoking device such that forced-air from the forced-air inputpasses of the smokeable product to produce a stream of smoke from thesmoking device which is inhalable by a user as described above.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages,and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is tobe understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achievedin accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus,the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achievesor optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught hereinwithout necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught orsuggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to benovel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in theconcluding portion of the specification. These and other features,aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become betterunderstood with reference to the following drawings and detaileddescription.

Other aspects and features according to the present application willbecome apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review ofthe following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunctionwith the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, byway of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may becarried into effect, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a smoking device according to an embodiment;and

FIG. 2 is a cut-away side view of the smoking device of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals indicated like or corresponding elements in thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to smoking devices and, in particular, toa forced-air smoking device.

According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, a forced air smokingdevice 100 comprises a hollow body 110 with a smoking end 120 and aforced air input 130. Control of air flow through the smoking device 100is provided via thumb hole 140. Forced air input 130 is connected to aforced-air source 160 via a hose 150. Air source 160 may be an air pumpwhich drives air through hose 150 or an air bladder which stores air,which is then released through hose 150 either by natural pressure ofthe air bladder or by applied pressure from the user or a third party.

As shown in FIG. 2, smoking end 120 is formed from a holder 210 and atip 220. The holder 210 holds the smokable 230, which may be a rolled orpacked amount of a smokable material (e.g. tobacco, marijuana, herbs).The holder 210 should be formed from a heat-resistant material, whereastip 220 may be made of plastic or similar material. Holder 210 and tip220 may also be removeable for cleaning or replacement.

In operation, the hollow body 110 is opened, preferably by removing airinput 130 by unscrewing or other means. The smokable 230 is placed intoholder 210 and lit. Hollow body 110 is then closed. Air will then flowinto hollow body 110 from the air source 160 through the hose 150 andair input 130 and out through thumb hole 140 according to the path shownby arrows “A” in FIG. 2. To use smoking device 100, the user coversthumb hole 140 with a thumb or finger, causing the air flow path to beredirected through the lit smokable along path “B” in FIG. 2. A streamof smoke “C” is then emitted from the smoking device through tip 220 insmoking end 120. The stream of smoke is produced as a short range jet ofa few inches before dissipating, therefore, the user may ingest thesmoke by opening their mouth and positioning the smoking end 120 of thesmoking device 100 around 2-4 inches from their face.

As the user's mouth is not required to contact the tip 220, the smokingdevice 100 (and smokable 230) may be shared without risk ofcontamination. Also, as the default air flow “A” does not pass airthrough smokable 230, if the smoking device is left alone or abandonedfor a few minutes, the smokable will no longer remain lit, reducing therisk of fire or other accidents. Similarly, the ashes from the consumedsmokable 230 are contained within the hollow body 110 and can be tampedout for disposal by removing air input 130, making the smoking processcleaner and more contained. However, for convenience in otherapplications, a removable cap or plug may be provided to cover thumbhole 140, in which case control of the smoke would be provided throughactuation of forced-air source 160 instead.

The interior of smoking device 100 may further contain a light source240 which illuminates the interior of hollow body 110. The light mayassist in positioning the smokable 230 into the holder 210 underlow-light conditions (e.g. outdoors at night). Further, hollow body 110may further contain a transparent window 170 to permit the user to lookinside and view the status of the smokable 230 without opening hollowbody 110. Any or all of the hollow body 110, the light source 240 andtransparent window 170 may be colored for decorative and identificationpurposes, if desired.

As shown, hollow body 110 is generally cylindrical in shape. While acylindrical shape may be preferred due to a resemblance to existingsmokables (cigarettes, cigars, etc.), other shapes, such as arectangular or triangular prism, may be used without any substantivechange in functionality. Further, the hollow body may be symmetrical orasymmetrical as desired (including custom shapes, such as letters,animals, etc.) as long as the air flow path remains as described herein.

It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of usecan be carried out in many different orders according to userpreference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “stepfor”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisionsof 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriatecircumstances, considering such issues as design preference, userpreferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements,available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods aretaught herein.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary andnumerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readilyenvisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which areintended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention.Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certainadaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments areconsidered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than theforegoing description and all changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A forced-air smoking device, comprising: a hollowbody, the hollow body operable to hold a smokable product, the hollowbody comprising: a tip at one end and a forced-air input at an oppositeend, and a holder disposed within the body, the holder adapted to holdan ignited smokable product, and a thumb hole, the thumb hole disposedbetween the forced-air input and the holder; and an air hose, the airhose coupled at a first end to the forced-air input and at a second endto a forced-air source, wherein, when the thumb hole is covered, theforced-air source forces air through the hose, into the body, over thesmokable product and out the tip to produce a stream of smoke from thesmokable product.
 2. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein theforced-air source is an air pump.
 3. The smoking device of claim 1,wherein the forced-air source is a user-actuated air bladder.
 4. Thesmoking device of claim 1, further comprising a transparent section inthe hollow body, the transparent section permitting viewing of theholder from the exterior of the body.
 5. The smoking device of claim 4,further comprising a light source within the hollow body, the lightsource illuminating the hollow body when active.
 6. The smoking deviceof claim 1, wherein the hollow body is cylindrical in shape. The smokingdevice of claim 1, wherein the hollow body has a non-circularcross-section.
 8. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the hollow bodyis asymmetrical.
 9. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein one or moreof: the tip, the air input and the holder are removeable.
 10. A methodof smoking a smokeable product via a forced-air smoking device,comprising: placing the smokeable product into a holder disposed withinthe smoking device; igniting the smokeable product; activating aforced-air source coupled to the smoking device; covering a thumb holein the smoking device such that forced-air from the forced-air inputpasses of the smokeable product to produce a stream of smoke from thesmoking device which is inhalable by a user.
 11. The method of claim 10,wherein the forced-air source is an air pump.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the forced-air source is a user-actuated air bladder. 13.The method of claim 10, wherein the smoking device further comprises atransparent section, the transparent section permitting viewing of thesmokable product without opening the smoking device.
 14. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising activating a light source within thesmoking device to permit viewing through the transparent section. 15.The method of claim 10, further comprising decoupling the forced-airsource from the smoking device to permit removal and disposal ofconsumed smokeable product.